The Man Who Never Was (Classics of World War II).

Alexandria, Virginia:: Time-Life Books, 1990.. Reprint Edition.. Hardbound . BINDING/CONDITION: from a uniformly bound series: tan marbled boards with half black imitation leather (corners and spine), all edges gilt, ribbon place marker, Very Good condition.. 8vo (8.5 inches tall) . Appendices. Printed endpapers. Description: Originally published in 1954, this reprint edition is part of the Time-Life World War II Classics series, A World War II account of Operation Mincemeat, a plot conceived by the author, who played a leading role in the scheme. The scheme? ''Take an anonymous corpse, give him an identity as a supposed Major of the Royal Marines bearing spurious top secret messages, cast him from a submarine into the sea where he will float to the Spanish shore. Then sit back and hope that not only will the body be discovered and the message turned over to the Germans, but that the enemy right up to High Command will be fooled into changing their Mediterranean defense plans.'' The idea was a long shot -- something for a thriller by Eric Ambler maybe, but not to be seriously entertained. Yet it was, and this is the story. This book was the basis for the 1956 British film starring Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame. Foreword by Lord Ismay. This copy includes the publisher's insert.